Expandable stents

• US 6,066,167 A
• Filed: 05/26/1998
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Advanced Cardiovascular Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Lau, Lilip, Frantzen, John J., Hartigan, William M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Milano, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/084,797
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 623/1, 623/12, 623/11
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/848 having means for fixation to the vessel wall, e.g. barbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/88 the wire-like elements formed as helical or spiral coils forming a net-like or mesh-like structure A61F2/90
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/89 the wire-like elements comprising two or more adjacent rings flexibly connected by separate members
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91533 characterised by the phase between adjacent bands
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9155 Adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91558 connected peak to peak
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91575 connected peak to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0019 operated at only one temperature whilst inside or touching the human body, e.g. constrained in a non-operative shape during surgery, another temperature only occurring before the operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1081 having sheaths or the like for covering the balloon but not forming a permanent part of the balloon, e.g. retractable, dissolvable or tearable sheaths
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/02 Local etching
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/04 Chemical milling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/901 Method of manufacturing prosthetic device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/903 Blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/921 Blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49995 Shaping one-piece blank by removing material

Abstract

The invention is directed to an expandable stent for implantation in a body lumen, such as an artery, and a method for making it from a single length of tubing. The stent consists of a plurality of radially expandable cylindrical elements generally aligned on a common axis and interconnected by one or more interconnective elements. The individual radially expandable cylindrical elements consist of ribbon-like material disposed in an undulating pattern. Portions of the expanded stent project outwardly into engagement with the vessel wall to more securely attach the stent.

Claims

1. A longitudinally flexible stent for implanting in a body lumen, comprising;

a first cylindrically shaped element, a second cylindrically shaped element, a third cylindrically shaped element, up to an Nth cylindrically shaped element, the cylindrically shaped elements being generally independently expandable in the radial direction and generally aligned on a common longitudinal axis;

other than the first and the Nth cylindrically shaped elements, each of the cylindrically shaped elements has two adjacent cylindrically shaped elements spaced in opposite axial directions;

each of the cylindrically shaped elements having an undulating pattern of peaks and valleys, the undulating pattern of each of the cylindrically shape elements being out of phase with the undulating pattern of each of the adjacent cylindrically shaped elements; and

each of the cylindrically shaped elements being interconnected to one of the adjacent cylindrically shaped elements so that the cylindrically shaped elements form a longitudinally flexible stent.

2. The stent of claim 1, wherein the distance between adjacent cylindrically shaped elements is less than the width of either a single peak or a single valley.

3. The stent of claim 1, wherein each of the cylindrically shaped elements includes at least three peaks and three valleys.

4. The stent of claim 1, wherein the peaks and valleys have a substantially U-shaped configuration.

5. A longitudinally flexible stent for implanting in a body lumen, comprising;

a first cylindrically shaped element, a second cylindrically shaped element, a third cylindrically shaped element, up to an Nth cylindrically shaped element, the cylindrically shaped elements being generally independently expandable in the radial direction and generally aligned on a common longitudinal axis;

each of the cylindrically shaped elements having an undulating pattern of peaks and valleys, the undulating pattern of each of the cylindrically shaped elements being out of phase with the undulating pattern of each of the adjacent cylindrically shaped elements; and

each of the cylindrically shaped elements being interconnected to one of the adjacent cylindrically shaped elements so that the cylindrically shaped elements form a longitudinally flexible stent.

6. The stent of claim 5, wherein the distance between adjacent cylindrically shaped elements is less than the width of either a single peak or a single valley.

7. The stent of claim 5, wherein each of the cylindrically shaped elements includes at least three peaks and three valleys.

8. The stent of claim 5, wherein the peaks and valleys have a substantially U-shaped configuration.